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5 tips for Effective Body Language in Interviews

An effective body language conveys a positive message to your interviewer. The way you enter the interview room and greet the panel, can make a great first impression. While 50% of the communication is verbal, the rest 50% of the communication is non-verbal. This itself speaks for the significance of body language in an interview. This article lists down some essential tips regarding the crucial parameters of body language. Keeping these things in mind will help you send the right message with your body language during your interview:

Walk in with dignity

Knock mildly at the door; some candidates over do the knocking bit which, in their case, assumes the proportions of hammering the door!

Walk with an upright posture and hold the file as an inclined plane with both the hands. A file held horizontally to the plane of the body is indicative of vulnerability and one held parallel to the plane of the body puts you across as insecure and redundantly defensive.

Take graceful confident steps as you walk towards the panel. Steps with disproportionately short measures are reflective of nervousness and the ones with over generous measures are implicative of brazenness.

Strike an eye contact with all the panellists, showcasing your comfort level in a one-many situation.

Shake hands confidently

Wait for the panel to initiate a hand shake, lest you come across as an impulsive and over-reactive candidate.

Extend your hand in the vertical plane to reciprocate smartly by producing a firm handshake. This shows that you are confidently connecting with the panel.

Make sure the hand is not moist; a moist hand is grossly irritating for the other person.

Avoid a dead fish/bone crushing hand shake- the first one indicates lack of verve & enthusiasm and the second one projects you as a person making a conscious effort to dominate.

Acknowledge all panellists

While answering questions, hold an upright posture, look at the panellist who asks you that particular question.

Start answering by looking at the panellist who initiates, and gradually spread the eye contact to other people in the panel.

Conclude your answer by either looking at the same panellist who asked that question, or by converging onto someone who shows apparently more interest by means of nodding or sustaining a welcome smile.